WWE: Hulk Hogan or John Cena, Who Will Have the Bigger Legacy?

There may not be two more iconic wrestlers in the WWE than Hulk Hogan and John Cena.

More popular wrestlers, yes.

More skilled, definitely.

More athletic, you get the idea.

But the two men that have held onto the WWF/WWE title in the fashion that both have over the years make them possibly the most influential of their generations. And I do realize this is open for debate when you talk about all the greats who have come and gone (The Rock, Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels), or who are currently on the WWE roster (Randy Orton, Christian, Triple H) or rosters of other promotions (Kurt Angle, The Dudley’s, The Hardy’s), but there is no denying the importance of these two men in this business.

But with the characterization of being that good, both men will forever be linked. Cena has even alluded to it in some of his promos with CM Punk about being the way he is, almost too “vanilla” for this generation.

So, who will have the better legacy?

Hogan ushered in the idea that wrestling was entertainment and it could be linked to the masses, the common person and the other entertainment venues that people take part in every day. When Vince McMahon bought the WWF from his father, Vince McMahon, Sr., it also ushered in a new era of the way we see wrestling-bright lights, big stars, cartoon-like characters and storylines.

It wasn’t like Bruno Sammartino meeting Buddy Rogers or Bob Backlund facing Superstar Billy Graham. It was something out of the realm of possibility just a decade ago.

Hogan, the larger than life character himself, was the perfect fit for the driver of this Rolls Royce. He was big, strong and good looking, said all the right things and he meant something to people across the country and worldwide. He was able to feed off the energy of the people in the company and carried it for McMahon.

In other words, it was really all about him and everyone else got on board for the ride. The Randy Savages, Roddy Pipers and Junk Yard Dogs of the company played second fiddle to the Hulkamaniacs and the Hulkster’s popularity. And toward the end of his reign in the WWF before he moved over to WCW, you could hear the boos for the most popular wrestler in the business at the time.

In some circles, it is believed to have really hurt some careers. Piper and Savage could have carried the company, even without Hulk being in the picture.

Cena was made for this generation of “PG” wrestling. While The Rock and DX and Edge were made for “Attitude,” the Massachusetts-born Cena came to the WWE in just the right time. He could talk (or rap), he is good looking, a strong supporter of the nation’s military and he is appealing to men, women and children.

But as Cena has survived for many years in the federation, he too has his detractors. He is vanilla, he is robotic and he keeps winning the title over and over. You get the message.

Cena is a product of the system just like Hogan. He sells for certain wrestlers and was vocal in his pursuit of CM Punk as an opponent instead of R-Truth. It is those types of political games that make him a target of the IWC and fans in the arenas (Let’s Go Cena…Cena Sucks!).

Cena is a great performer, is more talented than Hogan and genuinely loves what he does and from time to time, tells people that on national television. And most of all, he is sincere. He appeals to children and women like no other wrestler at the moment.

Hogan was universal in his appeal, but children bought more into him than women and men were divided in their likes and dislikes. And he carried the belt for longer periods of time. He has 12 world title reigns in all — six in the WWF and six in WCW.

And again, if you read anything Hogan has put out in print, it is more about him and how “he” carried everything.

Hogan has been doing this for over 30 years. He is still a great talker and will get back in the ring against Sting (ugh) in the future. Hopefully this is the last time we see Black and White or Red and Yellow on a mat near you.

Cena is still very young in this business and can carry it for some years. He knows when to sell and knows when to have everything thrown on his back. He needs more edge. He needs to be a little less colorful and a little more diabolical. All those things will help him.

For now, it is Hogan who has the better legacy, but in the end Cena can prove his 12 title reigns right now are stepping stones that will increase, no doubt.  And there will be some character change, maybe a heel change. Who knows?

Hogan knew when the time was right to be a heel and has fed off that and is still popular. I suspect the same will happen at some point for Cena. But here is where the difference in the two lies. Cena will not leave the WWE. He can’t. He knows the company is bigger than him.

Personally, I think Hogan thought he was bigger than the machine that made him great.

So in that respect, Cena will have the better legacy.